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The Show Must Go On

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Baker Eagan has just wrapped the TV show she created and ran for the past five years of her life. She’s ready for a break and to refocus on her writing, and the last thing she wants to do is go to her agent’s birthday party. Little does she know that her agent plans to play matchmaker.

Casey Jinx is the lead actress on a hit TV show. She’s also out and proud and happy to be playing a lesbian character on network TV. When she goes to a birthday party for her agent’s wife, she’s almost immediately introduced to Baker. Within minutes, Casey finds herself completely taken with the somewhat shy writer.

The two women hit it off instantly and discover they want more than just a chat at a birthday party. Unfortunately for them, though, Baker was just offered the job of executive producer on Casey’s show, making Baker Eagan her new boss.

Their romance begins quickly and intensely, but once Baker takes the job, their relationship is left behind. Will they find a way to get back what they’ve lost? Or, will they let the show get between something they’ve both felt so strongly about? After all, the show must go on.

Audible Audio

First published November 30, 2021

82 people are currently reading
404 people want to read

About the author

Nicole Pyland

79 books820 followers
Nicole Pyland is a bestselling author of lesbian romance novels, including No After You, All the Love Songs, and the series like Chicago, San Francisco, Tahoe, Sports, Boston, and more. Since 2017, she’s published over 30 novels (not including her What Happened After shorts), and more books are on their way!

Nicole grew up in Indiana, studying English & Film and then getting a MS in Behavior Analysis and moving to California, working by day as a Head of Training at a start-up. She lives with her wife and their opinionated cat, who spends his evenings helping her write stories by occupying half the chair.

Website: nicolepyland.com

Newsletter: nicolepyland.com/newsletter

Twitter: @nicole_pyland

Facebook: @nicolepylandauthor

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5 stars
361 (54%)
4 stars
206 (31%)
3 stars
77 (11%)
2 stars
13 (1%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Diane Wallace.
1,448 reviews172 followers
November 5, 2021
'ARC generously provided by The Author in exchange for a honest review'

**'You must be able to step inside any of your characters head/skin but at the same time try to remain outside those dicey circumstances you might have maneuvered them into in order for the storyline to be cheered by readers..'

Enjoyable read!
A nicely written story. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for pipsqueakreviews.
588 reviews505 followers
November 23, 2021
Exes in the workplace.

The cover gives the impression that this book is from the horror genre. Well, it's not. It's a romance novel and a good one.

I like that this is a first and second chance romance all in one. Baker and Casey meet at a party, hit it off instantly but call it off just as quickly the moment Baker is offered the position of showrunner on the hit tv show that Casey is the lead actress in, effectively making her Casey's boss. There is instant chemistry between them and I love how sweet they are together. But what really drew me in is how the nature of their relationship changes the moment they become exes working together. I love how the whole workplace forbidden love angle gets thrown in, how the characters navigate a professional work relationship and manage the growing attraction towards each other at the same time.

This book checks all the boxes when it comes to all my favourite tropes and it's written well, so it definitely gets a good rating from me.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jacob Proffitt.
3,311 reviews2,153 followers
February 21, 2022
Pyland continues to push the boundary for worst cover possible for a romance. Does that cover just scream "there will be blood and horror in this story"? I mean, seriously. At this point, I have to wonder if it's deliberate it is so consistent. Like, did she make a bet with someone about covers not actually affecting sales at all and is working to prove it? Or does she have a committee of people who hate her do her cover design?

Aaannyway. This is a lovely stand-alone romance that's very much in Pyland's wheelhouse. By which I mean that the characters are engaging, the story fits the characters very well, and any conflict that comes up is well-supported and flows naturally from them and their circumstances. Which is to say, that she doesn't lean into dark moments and, indeed, this story doesn't have one because it would have had to be forced into the story with a plunger and tongs.

Casey and Baker were lovely. I liked how strong their connection was from the start and how well they just clicked together. Casey was perfect as the foil for Baker's shy introvert leanings and you could see how Casey reveled in the stability brought by Baker's steady hand. But I liked, too, how their initial connection blew up under strain, forcing them to actually take the time to learn trust and appreciation from a greater distance. Which is weird because I don't have a lot of patience with workplace excuses in romances because most authors don't bother making them anything more than excuses. It turns out it's a relief when there's substance to the concerns that take time to work out.

And I think I'll let it go there. Yes, the wish-fulfillment, celebrity story is everything you could guess it would be from the blurb—particularly for an lgbt core that felt real, or at least possible. I'm going to go with five stars, but with a caveat that I find Pyland's stories abnormally engaging. So maybe adjust a bit for knowing that my taste often lines up better for her stories than the average.

A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes, though fewer than there could have been because they deliberately take things slow. It's not quite the middle of my steam tolerance, but that may be because I skimmed the last one. Frankly, I liked their intimate moments more before the sex happened.
Profile Image for MaxDisaster.
677 reviews89 followers
March 10, 2022
4 stars
The story was well written, made sense and I liked Casey and appreciated Baker (even thought I liked her a bit less), but there was something missing in the story that doesn't allow me to give full marks. Not sure what it is though.
I'll update this review if I figure it out
Profile Image for Sam.
837 reviews114 followers
June 24, 2022
Nicole Pyland is one of those writers that I believe just doesn’t get enough credit for the great writing.
I’ve read several of her books and this on shoots right to the must read Pyland books. This might even be my new favourite.

You want to know the one thing I had a slight issue with? The names of the characters, most just Baker and the abbreviated version - Bake. It’s just a bit too odd for me.

Baker and Casey meet at a party of their agents. As a long time fan Baker is baffled by Casey’s interest in her. It’s slightly odd, but massively endearing how quickly they become invested. When their professional lives get in the way of their blossoming romance they, or mostly Baker, puts a quick stop to it. The result is an awkward, in the beginning slightly hostile new workplace for Baker.
It’s hard for them to stay away from each other. I like the tension between the characters. They have good conversations, talk about what they want and need. I like them together.
The doubt that’s their on either side is understandable and talked about with either friends or between the two of them and it makes for a convincing story.

If you haven’t read any Pyland book and you want to start somewhere, this is a great introduction to this author.
Profile Image for Lorraine Rusnack.
1,126 reviews32 followers
December 1, 2021
Give it a chance

Baker and Casey are great characters that you can’t help but root for their relationship to succeed. They have an instant connection. They have several obstacles that they have to get through. Working together is tricky as well as Casey’s quick reactions to things before hearing the full story. The characters are so real that I expect to see their show on TV. Nicole has a great way of writing her characters that you think of them as actual people.
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,331 reviews100 followers
February 24, 2022
Class Nicole Pyland - love her books - both main characters totally believable and love the others - especially Isabel the straight PA. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Fran Sappharc.
818 reviews46 followers
May 17, 2023
I really enjoyed the start, but the blurb told us what the barrier was going to be, and I just wanted them to get to that point so the story could move on. It certainly moved once the plot drama kicked in. It almost felt like a different book. The first part was romance, the second part adult drama. Both parts equally compelling. I got a wee bit confused with the we must, we mustn't, must we, mustn’t we plot changes about half way through. This was sort of explained but not completely satisfactorily.
80% in and there is another barrier put in place that I just didn’t get. The explanation just doesn’t seem to sit right.
I enjoyed the book, the couple of slight dissatisfactions keep it at 3 rather than up to 4.
Profile Image for Sarah Johnson.
29 reviews
November 9, 2021
I was thrilled to get this ARC, I read it the first day I got it, all in one setting. I enjoyed the different beginning; They met, they started falling, and then life stepped in the way. There is a ton of drama in this book - a lot of will they, won’t they. The characters couldn’t seem to make up their minds despite wanting each other so badly. I feel like the term “wild chaos” applies to this book. And it is definitely a kind of chaos that I enjoyed.

Nicole writes every book as if she’s going into a challenge and I always look forward to reading her novels because of this. You don’t get the same thing in every story, she works hard to provide story lines that you have read a thousand times before.

I would definitely recommend this book; pre-order, order, or read on kindle unlimited. Check out Nicole’s other books… I’ve read them all at least twice (more on my favorites!) and though I don’t like them all passionately, they’re worth reading. “Love Forged” and “All the Love Songs” are my top favorites, if you don’t like this book - definitely check out those two!
617 reviews21 followers
December 9, 2021
For the most part Pyland always write a book that you can enjoy. There have only been a couple that I did not particularly like but this was not one of them. I think this one might be slightly better than the last few I have read but not as good as her earlier books.
618 reviews
February 18, 2022
Sweet

This is a sweet love story. It is well written. The main characters,Casey and Baker met at a party and had two weeks of being very close. Then they spent the next year not dating. They got back together after a year and were great together. Very happy ending.
40 reviews
September 6, 2022
OK so I feel like I need to write something to explain my 3 star rating.
Honestly I hate giving anything below 4 stars for lesfic .... I want to encourage the genre ... not bash it. But partway through the book everybody was getting under my skin. The setting in Toronto - where I live - did not help as everybody there - including even the MCs ... was petty, immature, annoying, or downright obnoxious ... I'm not usually over-sensitive but it felt to me like the author thinks it's OK to write these horrible characters / actions because oh hey they live in a hick town in Canada compared to like LA or New York. And oh yeah don't you know Canadians hate Americans anyway? At least until they have somehow proven their worth through trials and tribulations. Hazing in an adult workplace. Revenge shoots. Comon. Or maybe I have just worked really hard to not have people like that in my life. If I had a paper copy I would have thrown it or torn it. Yes ... that bad. I had to stop and switch to another book just to calm down for a day in order to get back to it. It did get better ... but it took a LONG TIME. I would have DNF'ed this but I'm stubborn and and I wanted to see if the book will redeem itself ... afterall it's very highly rated. In the end I decided to give it 3 stars rather than zero or one for making me so mad. This is my first read from this author. I'm not sure if I want to try another one. I have no room for immaturity in my life. Especially when it's in a book.
Oh and I almost forgot the one of the MC's started to annoy me with her insecurity from the very beginning BEFORE all the stuff that happened in Toronto. I can't imagine how that can be attractive ... so the chemistry that's supposed to be there totally did not work for me. She eventually outgrew it ... but it took a while ... and that basically immediately got replaced by a long bout of something else that annoy me even more ... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!! I better stop writing before I drop this down to 2 stars or less ...
Profile Image for Vita L. Licari.
917 reviews46 followers
October 12, 2024
Casey is the star of a lesbian featured #1 TV show. She's also an out and proud lesbian. When all of a sudden the show starts losing ratings. Baker is the showrunner/writer of another popular TV show that's just wrapped. They meet at their agent's party and immediately feel a connection. Casey has to go back to Toronto (where her show is filmed and she's doing a movie during hiatus). Baker goes to visit her when they find out that Casey's show runner has been fired and the job has been offered to Baker. Now, they can't date if Baker takes the job. This kept me turning page after page. I haven't been disappointed by any of Nicole Pyland's books! 5 stars!! A FAVORITE!
Profile Image for Michelle  Schuler.
922 reviews12 followers
January 3, 2022
Good angsty

This is another awesome book by the very talented Nicole Pyland. A must read stand-alone book. It is angsty in the fact that will they won't they, can they finally get together. Once they finally achieve getting together there is no angst. This is a must read and I look forward to more by Nicole Pyland.
Profile Image for gwen.
20 reviews
January 23, 2024
fell in love with another gay character named baker just like how god intended
Profile Image for Em.
1,667 reviews15 followers
April 11, 2022
“I’m confident; that much is true, but you have my stomach in knots, my heart going crazy, and my brain all sorts of confused, which has pretty much never happened to me.”

35 year old Baker Eagan is ready to take a break from the hustle and bustle of writing a popular TV series. She has been blessed with a fruitful career thus far, but really just wants to pivot and shift gears. While she attends a party thrown by her agent, she meets 29 year old Casey Jinx. She is enamored with the woman immediately. To her amazement, the feeling so completely mutual. Neither seem to care that Baker is based in LA and Casey is based in Toronto. Then as soon as they begin, they come to a screeching stop. The reasons are sound, but they cannot forget about what if. Especially when they are in each other’s lives every day.

I really loved the dynamic with this one. As you learn from the blurb there is some insta-connection then some time. But the crazy thing was it wasn’t because the main characters had their heads up their asses. It was genuine real reasons. It slowed the story down a bit too so the characters really grew.

Cliffhanger – no (stand alone)
POV - Baker & Casey
Profile Image for Chelles.
662 reviews
April 23, 2025
The Show Must Go On

This was a slow burn...in the best way! It's usually hit or miss for me with this trope because sometimes the stories tend to lull, and then the characters lose their chemistry. But the way Nicole Pyland wrote this one... she expertly dangled that carrot to keep you engaged from the start.

Baker and Casey hit it off in the beginning, and there was no doubt that they had chemistry, but being in the TV business, relationships are a fickle thing. So, we are treated to an emotional roller coaster of professional and personal hangups between the two while they figure out what they mean to each other. Wonderful story!

**UPDATE 4/22/2025: Just read this one again, and it is just as good as I remember it! The banter between Baker and Casey is fun, it's flirty, it's frustrating at times, but it all makes the story amazing!
50 reviews1 follower
January 22, 2022
Amazing!!!

I read this book before listing to the audio and WOW! First off, Blair Baker was stellar! I actually felt like I was listening to a movie, not just someone reading a book. That alone makes this audiobook amazing. Then it's a Nicole Pyland story and she definitely didn’t disappoint. Baker and Casey are endearing characters. They both have their own flaws but are perfect for each other. You couldn’t help but root for them throughout the story. This is a fun lighthearted listen/read that you won’t regret!!

**repost of my review at audible
542 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2022
Loved this book

If you love Hollywood and the stories that come from the crazy place (being from California I can say that with love) you will enjoy this wonderful story. Casey, a famous TV actress and Baker, a screenwriter who fall in love at first site. The story works through all the crazy of creating and producing a hit show and how life is not always as glamorous as people think as this couple deal with all the obstacles placed in their way by an uncaring industry. Great read.
1,177 reviews
May 13, 2023
Excellent Read!

I love all the stand alone books by Nicole Pyland and this too did not disappoint. There was a freshness to this storyline. Baker and Casey coming together how they did, how they felt about each other in such a short time kept this story going. You had to see this through. You had to know how their story was going to work out. It was good and exciting and made me feel good. That is all up to the writing.
17 reviews
December 12, 2021
Nicole never disappoints!

I love how serendipitous their initial meet was. Even though their friends were trying to play matchmaker they simply met by chance and immediately clicked. And everything that happened after that just confirmed they were meant to be. I love the worlds and the characters that live in Pyland’s head. Every story just makes me eager for the next and SMGO was not the exception.
Profile Image for Patricia.
550 reviews12 followers
September 23, 2022
OMFG, throughout the whole reading I had a goofy smile on my face. We have two characters very very likeable, full of chemistry. You cannot not root for them to be together. There's NO MISCOMMUNICATION, just people having to figure their shit out to make a relationship work. But even though there's no major drama you still get you dose of angst throughout the story. I loved every bit of it and had a hard time putting the book down.
303 reviews
December 3, 2021
WELL WRITTEN AND LOVABLE STORY

I should also mention, well researched on the TV industry as well.

Baker and Casey are a great couple, even though I found Casey to be a bit immature in the beginning. She came around splendidly and she and Baker made everything work out.

Excellent live scenes and quite believable.
8 reviews
December 5, 2021
Another Great Read

I have read all her books and not a one has disappointed me. I usually can't stay focus to read 300+ words books but the character development and feelings and emotions keep me intrigued. Thanks
Profile Image for Sharon.
6 reviews
December 7, 2021
Such a good read!!

Easily one of the best yet by Nicole Pyland. Didn’t want to put it down. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much! Lovely storyline, awesome characters and just that right amount of tension. Loved every minute of it.
43 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2021
Fab-u-lous!

I loved this story. I love every Nicole Pyland book. The characters and the arc of the stories are in-depth and wonderful. I hate to finish the book I am so into it. I really loved Casey and Baker, and them together.
27 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2021
Wonderful story

I can't wait for another book by Nicole. This book had more separation of the characters than normal, but with the help of friends, these two got their act together!
Profile Image for J H.
526 reviews12 followers
December 24, 2021
Really sweet celebrity story

Very likeable characters and enchanting plot. I really liked that their major conflict was about professionalism versus love, and in the end, love conquered all.
745 reviews3 followers
December 31, 2021
Once Again

Nicole Poland is a great storyteller who can take you on a journey through loves ups and downs with ease. Her books are real and heartwarming. I look forward to the next one! Well done!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

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